Mystery of four men who saved distraught teen girl's life

Michael Holmes

Four mystery men helped save the life of a distraught teenager who walked into the sea.

Three holidaymakers and a passing cyclist threw life rings to the 19-year-old and pulled her to safety from the water behind the Metropole hotel, close to North Pier, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

One of them, despite himself being soaked by the cold waves, took his shirt off and wrapped it round the distressed woman before the emergency services arrived.

The three tourists, from Wakefield and in their 20s, were taken back to the New Royal Windsor Hotel further down the Prom, while the anonymous cyclist left without giving his details.

The men have now been hailed for their actions – and described as ‘selfless’.

Paul Little, the Coastguard’s station officer for Lytham, Blackpool, and Cleveleys, said: “They were very brave. Between the four of them they have saved her life.

“She would not have survived very long in the water and it would have been a completely different outcome. It was selfless.”

The teen, who is from Blackpool, was well dressed and is believed to have been partying in the resort before heading towards the cenotaph at high tide at around 2am.

She was seen walking down the steps into the Irish Sea by the cyclist, who had stopped after seeing her handbag lying nearby, Mr Little said.

He shouted, raising the alarm, and, along with the trio from West Yorkshire, threw two life rings to the woman, who is thought to have been around 30 to 40 feet off-shore.

Two rescue teams from the Coastguard were dispatched, while RNLI volunteers from Blackpool launched in two lifeboats after receiving multiple 999 calls at around 2.20am.

Armed police officers, who had been patrolling nearby, were first on the scene, and Coastguard staff cared for the woman, who was shivering and in the early stages of hypothermia, until

paramedics arrived shortly after.

They took her to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, accompanied by a police officer. She has since been discharged.

“If you are in the water, you have 10 to 15 minutes before you succumb to the cold,” Mr Little told The Gazette. “That’s when you drown.”

A spokesman for the RNLI said: “Both of our D class lifeboats launched to search the area but the casualty was helped to shore just as they reached the scene.”

Were you involved in the rescue? Do you know who these men are? Call our newsdesk on 01253 361733.

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